View Full Version : One car?
Hi, folks: Now I know that many of us "older folks" grew up in one-car families.
I'm wondering how many of you now have only one car. I mean families of more than one person who get along with one car.
We've been doing it the past couple of years but as I have been working part time lately, I'm wondering if we need two. My spouse does not work as of now...but I had a very minor car "incident" today and he could not get to where I was to help. He did find a neighbor willing to drive him...by the time that happened, though, the tow truck guys were there. Now it could have turned out differently. It worried me a bit.
How necessary IS a second car? Those of you with one car, what do you do in situations like the one I had today?
Whadayathink?
A AAA membership is going to be much cheaper than a second car. Or upgrading your current car to a newer model less likely to have "incidents" is still going to be cheaper than a second car. I would avoid getting a second car until your financial situation is considerably more stabilized.
We are carless in China, and borrow my mom's car when we are visiting family in the US. We do use taxis regularly in Beijing, where they are comparatively cheaper than here, and also relatively convenient (as long as you aren't trying to get one in the middle of rush hour or a rain storm). If we were to move back to the US we would probably try to live in an area where a car was optional, and rely on something like zipcar for occassional errands. I would definitely not want to become a two-car family for a number of reasons, including cost and environmental impact.
lhamo
I should have explained: I do have AAA thanks to my mom and Xmas gifts!
The "incident" was entirely my fault--driving over a curb and getting stuck is NOT the best way to drive! tee hee
I am in a weird position re: second cards. My mother offered to give us her car when she gets a new one. I said I'd take it. However, she is recuperating from surgery and has not mentioned the car. I have two other, very old vehicles that are parked and need some minor work, inspections, etc. I think I'd like to get rid of the two older vehicles and get mom's car. None of these are ideal solutions...but should my car break down, I don't really have a backup. I keep my fingers crossed a lot.
We also do have cabs around here which might work, in a pinch!
We have been a family with only one car since early 2009. We are two adults and an infant. We will probably get another car in the next 2 years, because our car is 13 years old and we would like something bigger so that we are more comfortable on trips and can haul a little more.
I don't think we've ever needed a second car during the time that we've shared the car. In situations when I have had car trouble and not had a ride (like when DH lived across the country, even though we had two cars), I took the bus home from the shop and got enterprise to pick me up so I could rent a car while mine was being worked on. I had a really flat tire while DH was out of town AND a flat spare tire (yay!), and we had one of DH's co-workers come get the tire patched for us, and then I changed the tire and the baby and I went to the tire shop and hung out all day while the tires were replaced. By the time DH came home, the car was all fixed up! In your case, I would have gotten a ride with the tow company to wherever my car was going and then the bus/friend/neighbor/cab home.
I guess I don't know what could happen that I would specifically need my own additional car for? If I were stuck on the side of the road with baby, then I would call someone to get me. Could be DH, could be a friend, could be a cab. Of course, when we had two cars, we once ended up with a dead battery in one car and a flat tire (no spare) on the other, so it's not like two cars mean anything.
The only thing I get a little concerned about is going out with baby on the bus and then needing to get home/somewhere quickly and not having a car seat for the cab/friend's car. But that is a pretty rare and specific circumstance, and I would just be slower than usual to take the bus to our car. I'm not going to buy a new car just for that.
Oh, you meant for backup? I always just rented a car when my car was in the shop or when I didn't feel confident that it would perform well on the trip. I had an older car when I worked outside the home and DH was in a different state, and I had a commute and frequently traveled in my own car for work. We also put a priority on having some access to transit wherever we live, living close to at least one person's job, and being able to walk to some retail. We have always lived close to an enterprise rental car station, too. If those things weren't available, I would probably lean more toward having a 2nd car.
Tiffany, thank you for a very thought-provoking reply!
I did not know Enterprise would pick people up--that's a great piece of info.
Funnily enough, years ago, we DID have a situation where we had one car down with a dead battery and the other undergoing repairs. So I know just what you mean about the two cars not meaning anything!
I have also rented a car at times from a cheap-o place. Not sure that guy is still in business but I should probably check up on him.
There is a bus stop nearby; however, retail is not in a walkable state. I should probably ask a friend or two if she/he might be OK with being called in a state of emergency, too.
One car right now and we get along fine. We have friends who come and help and when too far away or they are not avaiable we have AAA.
One thing that struck me about your post, frugal-one, is that the older vehicles just sitting around could be sold, now, even if as junk, and the $$ put toward a more reliable first vehicle. Or just off your mind! :)
As others have pointed out, there are lots of backup choices. Any $$ you spend keeping a second car "backup" ready - running, ready-to-go, insured, etc. could be spent on many cab fares or car rentals.
I'd like to get to one car. It would hinge solely on me or DH finding a closer or more bus-able job. Our neighborhood is very walkable/bikeable/busable for every other purpose. But I just signed a new contract for 2 more years, so it's not a priority.
Fidgie, I definitely want to sell/junk them. "Junk" is probably it at this point.
I wish the bus service had better hours. DH says there is nothing that adds more wear and tear to a car than driving it a short distance (i.e. to a job). Then it sits all day in the parking lot. If I get the job I'm interviewing for, I will be on second shift and there are no night buses. I'm gonna keep working on this problem!
We have been a one car family for over 5 years. DH takes the bus to work but on Wednesdays during golf season. I work during the school year and walk the mile to and from work at least 3 days per week. There are very, very few times that we both need a car - always have found a way to get around that.
We did buy a new to us car a year ago and kind of wish we had just put the $$ in to fix up our older Honda. The new Civic has been hit twice while parked by people who drove away and had been broken into once. Bad k(c)arma?
Wish there was a way we could be a no car family - use the hour car instead - but that just doesn't seem to be in the cards.
We've had one car since 2005. Works out well for us, but we are retired and empty nesters. It would have been hard to manage with just one car with our family life and work schedules several years ago though...
Tussiemussies
8-1-12, 9:41pm
We have had only one car on the road for about four months. Being that I haven't been going anywhere it's okay for now, but I do need to do things when my husband is at work, so it is really not feasible for us in the long run...
Husband and I switched to one vehicle in early 2011 and have never regretted it. We moved to aoplace 16 blocks from my work and 2 blocks from his. A few times a year when he is put of town I rent a car. it saves us so much money. 100 a month just for insurance ... So worth it.
DH and I sold my car about 18 months ago, before moving to Florida and then to Israel. Being a one-car family worked out GREAT...we coordinated our schedules more closely, of course, and had excellent breakdown service (which we never had to use, luckily). On the days he needed the car but I was home, I just planned for it and stayed in...no problem. There were no buses in our rural Nevada town, and biking was pretty much out of the question due to our location and the weather, but we dealt with it. I really enjoyed the simplicity and I LOVED being out of the responsibility of those car insurance/registration/gas/repair bills! Getting rid of the car wasn't eliminating just one headache...it actually eliminated several.
I was just filling out a form yesterday, after reading this thread, and discovered that my wife and I are putting only about 15,000 and 20,000 miles on two cars. That seems to me not nearly enough to justify two cars, one of which still has some loan left on it. And it is making me think about if/how we could get by on one. Hmm ... Thanks to the posters and especially to frugalone for bringing up the topic.
fidgiegirl
8-2-12, 11:06am
Steve, plus St. Paul is pretty bus-able. Let us know what you decide!
I miss being a one car (truck) family.
We did the one truck when the boys were little and there were many times he'd be traveling for a week or two at a time and I was home alone with the toddlers and depended on a friend to take me to town if we needed to get out or get supplies. It was great.
Two cars....have been two headaches it seems. But teenagers need to get out more often than toddlers and it seems I'm running someone somewhere all the time.
Steve, plus St. Paul is pretty bus-able.
Kelli, it is. But there frequently seems to be some "gotcha".
When I first started working my former day job (like 15-20 years ago), there were four buses a day that stopped right in front of the suburban building in which I worked. Perfect! But then they cut two of the rides due to budget cuts, which was a pain when I had to come in or stay late. Then they cut the last pair, which meant the closest I could stop was half a mile away and I would have to walk along the road because there are no sidewalks (not so bad in summer; downright dangerous in winter).
Right now my wife works in a neighoring County. Although that area is decently served by buses, many of the places to which she must make "field trips" are not, so she'd need an "HourCar" or "ZipCar" or such. Plus, when my photography business picks up, there's no way in the world I will be able to get wherever "there" is by bus with all of my gear (never mind time constraints).
So for us it will come down to how we can manage the logistics of one car (which usually would stay with me since my travel needs would be more spontaneous). And then the decision on whether we keep the car which gets great fuel mileage and is paid off but a bit expensive to maintain and 10 years old versus the car which is cheaper to fix but much smaller, gets just over half the mpg, and has a loan.
Thanks to everyone who's read this through so far. Thinking out loud really helps me make decisions.
Thank you all for your input. Certainly something to think about.
LUckily, our insurance is not very expensive, there are no loans involved and repairs can largely be handled by DH. But yes, it's still a bit of a headache to worry about more than one car!
When we retired, we went to one car. Its been 6 years now, and its been fine. Friends don't understand how we get by, but its just not a problem!
SAVERSgirl
8-10-12, 11:02pm
My husband and I went to one car last October when my 16 year old car decided to die. I take the bus to work and wish I would have done it a long time ago because I love it! The bus stop is only a two minute walk from our apartment and it's a Flyer which means less stops. We also are saving on insurance, gas, maintenance and registration fees. It takes 20 minutes for me to get to work and I usually take a nap or chat with the nice people I've met. We haven't had an emergency situation yet, but I'm sure one of us could get a ride.
rodeosweetheart
8-11-12, 8:47am
We had one car for the past six years, and then we adopted my dad's 1988 Ford F150, more to make him feel good than because we really needed it. I love having a truck, but honestly, at 13 miles to the gallon, it has been a budget buster.
When it goes, we'll go back to one car. If I had my way, we would be carless, since I loathe driving, but then we would need to go to horse and buggy to get into town.
early morning
8-11-12, 12:58pm
Lots to think about here. We are three adults with three cars, and one adult out of the house with a car that is still on our insurance. There's no public transportation, and we drive almost everywhere. We used to walk to the post office but they closed it last year. Insurance is fairly cheap - all cars are older, paid for, and cost about $35 a month each to insure. Both adult kids pay me for their share of insurance, tags, etc - much cheaper for them to have it pooled, at the suggestion of our insurance agent. All cars in my and DH's name. We could probably do w/out one vehicle in a pinch, but it would be difficult and involve renting something fairly often. I really dislike putting my friends out to haul us around in less than an emergency situation - my transportation is my responsibility. I know how aggravating it became when my SIL had no car and expected me to drive her around on my days off or call her when I went anywhere, in case she needed something (no doubt because I'm not a people person off the clock:|( )- but I tend to think that everyone will react to things the way I do, and that's not the case, I do understand that. Not that it's not ok to ask friends, just that I couldn't do it. I think if we lived in town and had things accessible, we would most definitely shed a vehicle and use some public transportation.
I think it is is different asking friends for help in an emergency or brief situation, versus a long-term deal. I would feel annoyed, too, about being someone's ride if we hadn't agreed to it. My parents and brother live in a fairly rural area without any public transportation and nothing really walkable. I mean, you could walk along the side of the road for a mile and a half to a gas station and post office, but the nearest grocery store is 10 miles away. They are a car per adult kind of community, and I totally understand it. My brother thought I was doing something dangerous when we moved to a one-car household! Then he took a vacation to NYC and loved it.
We too had a post office within walking distance, and they closed it. I really do miss it, too.
There is a bus stop I could walk to, but my new job will be second shift, and there are no nighttime buses. So I could get to work easily but not back that easily. My mom is still planning to give us her car when she buys her new one so we've got to decide what to do pretty quickly. Luckily, we owe nothing on any of the cars so it's only insurance (which is reasonable since we switched to Geico) and repairs and gas.
Fascinating, this HourCar thing! I wish we had it here. We do have rental bicycles nearby, which is fairly new.
I think if society as a whole put its mind to it, we could really reduce our dependency on fossil fuels and cars! Will it ever happen? I surely hope so!
Readsomething
8-12-12, 1:37pm
We could not do it, which is a bummer, because DH and I work in the same building, even. But our work schedules are very different -- he goes in at 2 p.m. and works until 10 or 11. I go in at 11 a.m. or noon and leave at 4 or 5-ish. We have DD, who must be driven to and picked up from school. In the past, we have been able to drop off one of us or the other and then rearrange things for pick up or something, but it is a huge pain during the school year. If I pick up DH after work, it means that I must wake up DD on a school night and drive to work, then we drive home again. She loses an hour of sleep, and she is a BEAR the next day. I would love to have just one car (primarily because I am not fond of driving, really).
ToomuchStuff
8-12-12, 11:54pm
As a single person I went with one car for a LONG time. Now, I have three. Two, both need some work, but mostly minor, and I need to decide which I would prefer to keep. Even tempted to put for sale signs on both and see what sells first. The third, well it is a toy, that the way I obtained it, involved a death, divorce and a sale, and I bought it cheap. It is also an antique that is a fairly inexpensive to operate vehicle, which is part why I bought it.
I don't care if you have one, two or three, etc. vehicles. It seems that what needs service, will happen when the other needs service so you will still have those issues. JMHE
awakenedsoul
8-13-12, 2:26pm
Growing up in Seattle, our family had one car until we moved to California. We used to take the bus with my mom. My dad took the car to work. That's how everybody was back then...
I remember when my mom got "her own" car, it was a huge deal! It was a VW Bug, and she packed four kids in it! We were so impressed that she knew how to drive and had her own car. (She was a very nervous driver.)
I have a car and I try to use it just once a week. I can bike or take the bus, too. Now that it's super hot, I find I prefer to drive with the air conditioning. I try to stay organized and make several trips at once. If I were married, I'd like to just have one car. I think it's wise.
I do the 30,000, 60,000 and 90,000 mile checks. That way I don't have breakdowns. I change the oil every 3,000 miles. My mechanic will give me a ride home, or I can pack my bike in the back and ride it home.
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